It’s been nearly seven years since he last fought in the United States, but Saturday at New York’s Madison Square Garden, the longest-reigning heavyweight champion in boxing history makes his return to the ring.

“I had stadiums, big pay-per-view fights over there, it’s been exciting times,” Klitschko said of his fights overseas. “But you know what? Here I am standing at Madison Square Garden. And it reminds me of my memories 15 years ago.”

While not his first appearance on US soil, that April 2000 undercard match-up against American David Bostice – a second-round TKO victory – improved the Ukrainian’s record to 33-1 and thrilled a New York audience.

However, his 2008 fight at MSG, a 12-round unanimous-decision snoozer versus Sultan Ibragimov, left Klitschko apologizing to fans for the lackluster result during his post-fight interview with Max Kellerman.

“You’re as good as your last performance,” Klitschko said of that night. “I had some great fights in the past, I’ve had some boring fights in the past, boring for the audience. But to tango, you need two.”

Kubrat Pulev was the last to pencil his name onto Klitschko’s dance card this past November, an outing that sent him down to the canvas four times as the reigning champ secured a five-round TKO victory. The home-away-from-home crowd in Hamburg, Germany showed their elation for Klitschko, but he believes the man across from him is due just as much credit.

“He came to fight and he made the fight,” Klitschko said of Pulev. “It’s not just me, that’s him. He made the fight the way it was. My experience and my capability of delivering punches and winning the fights, I have it there. But I need that person to tango with.”

“You have to have someone that gives you that good fight,” he added. “Not just running around and not trying to get hit and someone who comes and wants to win. That makes the whole energy of the fight different, and the look of the fight too.”

So is Bryant Jennings, the man Klitschko has dubbed “Rocky Balboa” – if only for his Philadelphia roots –that guy?

“You never know until you see the person in the ring. There’s a lot of things that a boxer needs to handle before the big fight. It’s a lot of pressure – mental pressure, pressure on all sides of it. He’s going to face the best man in the heavyweight division and it’s going to be challenging and we’ll see how things go on fight night. Maybe he’ll give that exciting fight, maybe he won’t. My prediction is he will.”

Klitschko and Jennings face off Saturday at 10 PM ET/PT on HBO World Championship Boxing.

UPCOMING FIGHTS

INSTAGRAM

After scoring a 2nd-round knockdown, @jorgelinares fought off a resolute @luke11campbell to retain his titles in a split-decision victory. #LinaresCampbell

In a hard-fought, back-and-forth battle, @jorgelinares overcomes a gutsy rally from @luke11campbell to earn a split-decision victory and defend his lightweight titles. #LinaresCampbell

Fight night STARTS NOW with the exclusive replay of @canelo vs. @gggboxing followed immediately by live boxing featuring the lightweight title bout between @jorgelinares and @luke11campbell.
Tune in now to HBO World Championship Boxing. #CaneloGGG #LinaresCampbell

Will @luke11campbell take home @jorgelinares' title belts tonight?
Tune in to HBO World Championship Boxing at 10 PM ET/PT for the exclusive replay of #CaneloGGG followed immediately by #LinaresCampbell.

@jorgelinares puts his lightweight titles on the line against @luke11campbell on Saturday.
Will Campbell be ready? Tune in to HBO at 10 PM ET/PT. #LinaresCampbell

"Andre Ward ends his boxing career as he only knew how to live it -- as a champion at the top. To watch Ward was to marvel at constant mastery of craft in the ring, to say nothing of his being the consummate role model outside it. The Hall of Fame will be lucky to have him.
"We wish Andre and his family much success and happiness as he explores new opportunities, including with our own HBO family as one of the expert analysts on our broadcast team.
"It was a privilege for HBO to serve as the television platform for many of his landmark achievements in the sport he loves." - Peter Nelson, Executive Vice President, HBO Sports

Saturday: Watch three-division world champ @jorgelinares defend his lightweight titles against hard-hitting rising star @luke11campbell.
Tune in to @HBO World Championship Boxing Saturday at 10 PM ET/PT for the replay of #CaneloGGG followed by #LinaresCampbell.

A fight that was years in the making exceeded all expectations. #CaneloGGG